Human rights boss asks govt to beef up security countrywide

The chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHCR), Ms Mariam Wangadya, has called on the government to beef up the security of the entire country, to protect Ugandans from attacks.

This follows the Friday night attack on Lhubirira Secondary School in Mpondwe Town Council, Kasese District, which left 42 people dead, among them 37 students. 
 
It is believed that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) carried out the attack.
Addressing journalists in Kampala yesterday, Ms Wangadya said: “We appreciate the government’s efforts to enhance security and efforts to apprehend the suspects, though more security measures to protect citizens from such incidents are still needed.” 

Ms Wangadya also asked the government to increase the amount of money being given to families that lost their loved ones in the school attack.
“Alternatively, these families can sue the government for negligence though all the signs seen so far show that the government is really caring about the matter,” she said. 

“We stand in solidarity with the bereaved families, the students, the teaching staff, the school authorities, families of those abducted by the terrorists and the country at large,” she added. 

Issue
While addressing plenary yesterday, Ms Anita Among, the Speaker of Parliament, asked government security agencies to expeditiously investigate and reprimand those behind the gruesome attack.
 “We want to condemn this loss in the strongest terms and such acts should be investigated and the perpetrators should be brought to book,” Ms Among said during plenary yesterday.

President Museveni on Sunday condemned the attack on the school and pledged to beef up security in the region.
“Their action, the desperate, cowardly, terrorist action, therefore, will not save them.  We are bringing new forces to the Uganda side as we continue the hunting on the Congo side,” the President said in a statement.

Ms Wangadya also condemned the attacks on people in Teso and Bugisu sub-regions by the Karimojong warriors 
“Other than the theft of livestock, the warriors have also looted valuable items such as cash, solar panels, mobile phones as well as food items. They also burnt grass-thatched homesteads/huts as a scare tactic to coerce the victims to comply with their demands or as a means of punishment, killing families inside,” she said.

“Security agencies should tighten security in all the neighbouring districts of Karamoja to check the continuous incursion of Karimojong into the affected sub-counties,” she added.